


The Five Times Dean Knocked on Cas' Door

by bluestbluetoeverblue



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 03:43:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2908088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluestbluetoeverblue/pseuds/bluestbluetoeverblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Dean gets a new neighbor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Times Dean Knocked on Cas' Door

The apartment down the hall was empty for three months before someone finally moved in. Charlie had lived there before she moved in with Dorothy, so naturally Dean was curious as to who was replacing his neighbor/best friend. He opened the door to his own apartment a crack and peaked down the hall. A tall man with cropped blond hair and a leather jacket leaned up against the wall smoking a cigarette beside one with longer brown hair and a scraggly beard. They were laughing about something when a red headed woman came up the stairs and started yelling at them. With her came a man whose face was shielded by the pile of moving boxes he carried. Dean glimpsed dark hair, long legs, and a blue t-shirt before the smokers headed towards the stairwell by Dean’s apartment and he was forced to retreat to his living room.

A few days later, Dean decided to introduce himself and headed down the hall. He rapped his knuckles on the door marked 203 and waited. Soft footsteps sounded behind the door before it opened to reveal a man not much shorter than Dean. Dean didn’t notice much else besides his eyes. They were incredibly blue. Like holy shit blue. The man looked at him with a patient but curious face.

“Hi there. I’m Dean. I live down the hall in 205.”

“A neighbor.” The man smiled. “I’m Castiel.” He stuck out his hand and Dean shook it firmly. Castiel had warm, worn hands and eyes that you could fall into. Dean felt a blush at the base of his neck as he forgot what he was supposed to be saying.

“Um, so I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the neighborhood or building or whatever.”

“Thank you,” Castiel smiled some more and continued in his gravelly voice. “It’s very nice to meet you, Dean.”

For a moment, all Dean could think of was this guy saying his name in that voice. Jeez, what was wrong with him? He was quiet for a second.

“Yeah. Well, I’ll see you around.” He turned abruptly and walked back to his apartment, cursing himself quietly. When did he become the awkward Winchester brother?

***

The second time Dean knocked on Castiel’s door was about a month later. Dean had seen his new neighbor around the complex once or twice: getting the mail, taking out the trash, passing each other in the hall, but they never said much. Dean usually just nodded and continued on, trying not to look at those crystal eyes. This trip down the hall was prompted by the obnoxious pop music coming from Castiel’s apartment. Dean didn’t mind music. Hell, he’d earned plenty of complaints about his less-than-soft rock music being blasted. But it was 12:53 in the morning. On a Thursday. And Dean just so happened to be watching Amy while Sam and Jess were out for their anniversary. And ten month olds tend to not love obnoxious pop music pounding through the walls. So Dean laid Amy down in her crib and pulled on a random t-shirt before heading down the hall and pounding on the door. After a minute, Dean knocked again, and after a minute more, it opened.

Castiel stood in plaid pajama pants and a Star Trek t-shirt, his eyes bleary and hair ruffled ten times more than usual. He squinted into the brightly lit hallway, rubbing his face.

“Dean?”

All of the anger bubbling up inside Dean’s chest suddenly melted away. Why was he here? A crackling blast of crying came from the baby monitor clipped to his waistband. Oh yeah.

“Hey, would you mind turning the music down? It’s just that it’s kind of late and I’ve got a baby that needs to sleep.” Castiel’s eyes widened.

“Of course! I’m so sorry. My brother Gabriel was in a thing and he’s staying with me for a few days and I guess I’m so used to his noise that I didn’t even think about it. I’ll turn it off right now.”

That was easier than Dean had expected.

“Uh, thanks.”

“I’m so sorry again. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

Castiel closed the door and Dean could hear him yelling over the music for a minute before the building was filled with silence. He shrugged. At least he got to see his hot neighbor in pajamas.

***

The next time Dean ended up at Castiel’s door was exactly two weeks and three days later. Dean hadn’t seen him since the music incident, probably because Dean had offered to take the night shift off Ellen’s hands when Gordon quit at the Roadhouse. Bela would be back from vacation in a few weeks and take it again, so Dean didn’t mind. The only problem he had was thinking way too much about Castiel. He thought about him while watching old episodes of Star Trek, while ordering single servings at restaurants, while turning down decently attractive guys and girls trying to take him home at the bar. What was wrong with him? He’d only met the guy twice.

Finally, Dean decided that it was time for him to grow up and ask the guy out. Before he knew what was happening, Dean was standing in front of Castiel’s door waiting for those eyes. When the door opened, however, the eyes that met him were not nearly that blue. This man was also taller and blonder and the one Dean had seen in the leather jacket the day Cas moved in.

“Can I help you?” the man asked when Dean’s sinking stomach prevented him from speaking.

“Um…”

“Castiel’s not here if you’re looking for him.”

“You know,” Dean said suddenly, getting ahold of himself and smiling, “I think I’ve got the wrong apartment. Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” the man said with narrowed eyes. Dean was walking away when he called after him: “Say, do you live around here?” Dean paused and turned. “It’s just that my suit for my wedding was supposed to be delivered here and it appears to have not arrived. I was wondering if maybe they got the wrong flat?”

Dean shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Thanks anyways.”

It wasn’t until Dean was safely back in his own living room that he let his smile break. Castiel was getting married. To a hot blond guy. He flopped down on the couch with a sigh. It’s not like he even knew the guy, Dean told himself. They had barely talked. He was just infatuated and could definitely get over that. Eight days later, he stood in front of Cas’ door again.

It all really started because it was Jess’ birthday and Sam had planned a giant surprise party with all their friends and family. Sam was going all out, and Dean had promised to do the cake for him. Dean cooked a lot, so Sam gave in and found Jess’ favorite recipe. Dean then stood in his kitchen staring at a bowl full of cake batter with absolutely nothing to bake it in. He pulled apart the kitchen, sure he had to have a cake pan somewhere, but there was no hope. Usually, he would have gone and asked Charlie for whatever he needed. So, instead of going to the store, or downstairs to Benny or next door to Lisa, he went to Castiel. He may not have been able to admit it to himself, but Dean would have found any excuse to see the man one more time.

And there he was when the door opened, blue eyes, ruffled hair, day old tuxedo, and phone up to his ear. Dean wasn’t gonna lie, the tux nearly killed him. Cas smiled.

“Anna, I’m going to have to call you back.” He hung up the phone. “Hello, Dean.” That damn gravelly voice again.

“Hey, nice suit.” Cas looked down.

“Thank you. My sister got married a few hours ago, and I was a groomsman.” He dug around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a Polaroid of the angry red head from moving day and the blond with the missing suit in a white gown and what he assumed was the missing suit, respectively. They made a gorgeous couple. Dean’s face warmed. “That’s Anna and Balthazar,” Cas said happily. “I’m kind of old school about my photography.” He chuckled and slipped the photo back into his pocket. “Anyways…?”

“Oh, well I’ve got a sort of strange favor to ask.”

“Need to borrow a cup of sugar?”

“A cake pan, actually.”

Castiel thought for a moment. “I don’t believe I have one. My kitchen’s so sparsely furnished I eat takeout almost every night,” he said, laughing.

“Well thanks anyways. I guess I’ll see you around sometime.” Castiel’s smile faltered and he glanced at the ground.

“See you around.”

With that, Dean was walking home. Dean couldn’t believe himself. Cas wasn’t the one getting married, in fact he appeared perfectly single, yet Dean failed entirely to ask him out. The set up was perfect, it was the moment, and he didn’t do a thing. What was wrong with him? He was so bitter over it all that even Sam noticed at the surprise party.

“Hey man, you okay?” Sam asked his big brother as they watched Jess dance happily with her nieces and nephews.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Dean, there are at least seventeen hot nurses here you would normally be all over. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, just leave it alone,” Dean bit.

“Okay, okay.” But Sam knew there was something off, and Dean knew what it was. He just didn’t want to admit it. So, he sulked for a while before holding Amy and eating the cake he had eventually found a pan for, both activities that helped cheer him up. When he got home, it was around ten and the building was quiet. Instead of stopping and unlocking his own door, he continued on to 203 and stood on the welcome mat, contemplating his options. A) knock on the door and see what happens or B) go home and forget about Castiel and his eyes and voice and hair and Star Trek pajamas and go to bed. He knocked on the door. Then, he cursed himself and considered running away. Before he had the chance to decide, the door was open and Cas was staring at him.

Castiel was in black sweatpants and a slightly oversized cream sweater. The soft sounds of Frank Sinatra could barely be heard from within the apartment. Dean didn’t bother at politeness, glancing from Cas’ head to his feet. He didn’t say anything. Cas didn’t say anything. After a minute of half indecisive, half confused silence, Castiel said, “Dean?” But before anything else could come out, his mouth was met with Dean’s. Cas’ lips were chapped and warm and Dean wanted nothing more than to stay there kissing him and breathing in his scent forever. Instead, he pulled back after a second.

Cas’ eyes were huge. His hands were suspended in the air, not reaching for Dean but not pushing him away either. Dean stood equally frozen and surprised.

“But,” Castiel said, “you...you have a baby so I thought you had a-”

Dean shook his head quickly after a moment of confusion. “She’s my niece. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That was weird. Sorry.” He was backing up when Cas stepped forward and kissed him back, hard. He held Dean’s face in his hands, and Dean’s arms found their way around Cas’ waist. They stood there in the doorway like that, kissing like they had been doing it for years.

Dean knocked on Cas’ door a few times after that, but it wasn’t very long until they shared one door together. 


End file.
